Saturday, November 15, 2008
Stephen Jackson said he and his family are happy here, an...

(11-14) 17:39 PST -- When Stephen Jackson and Baron Davis face off in Los Angeles today, they'll do so as leaders of far inferior teams than the Warriors squad they co-captained a year ago.

Golden State is 3-6, the Clippers are 1-7, and neither projects to be very good in the very near future. Both have had injuries mar their new rosters, and both are in the midst of volatile times.

Davis left behind a front-office divide - fueling tensions between Warriors team president Robert Rowell and vice-president Chris Mullin by opting out when contract talks broke down - only to clash himself with rigid Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy.

Since then, Rowell has promised Jackson the extension he wouldn't give Davis. And with Davis' former team now belonging to Jackson, we asked the Warriors' remaining chieftain for his thoughts on the state of Golden State, and why he wants to be a part of the rebuilding project.

Q: You're essentially committing yourself to the Warriors - and vice versa - once you sign that three-year contract extension. Why is this the right move for both sides?

A: "I'm finally at the point where I'm wanted. I can be the player I've always wanted to be. I can be a leader. And I'm tired of bouncing around. I'm tired of going from team to team. And this is somewhere where I feel comfortable, my family is comfortable. And I love the coach I'm playing for.

"So for me, it's a great situation."

Q: Even if that means being part of a rebuilding team?

A: "I've been on both sides of the ball. I've been on good teams, I've been on bad teams. So I kind of know how to deal with getting back to the winning situation. And I don't think that this team is as bad as when I was with Atlanta. We have way more upside and way more talent.

"I think the biggest thing for us is just to realize we have a young team and to have some room for error because the young guys are still learning. Me and coach talked about it, we might not be as good as last year, we might be better, we don't know yet. But the biggest thing for me is to stay positive and do what I do best, and that's be a leader."

Q: You see veteran guys like Antonio McDyess, P.J. Brown and Brent Barry leaving money on the table to play for a contending team. But not you?

A: "It's not an option because I'm a different type of guy. I'm not one of those guys who's trying to put myself in a better situation for a championship or a playoff run. I'm not going to do that.

"I'm comfortable with the guys here. I have a great relationship with the coach and the owner and the president of the team. I'm getting treated the way I want to get treated here."

Q: Do you miss having Al Harrington, who has asked to be traded and is currently out with an injury, here?

A: "I miss everything about Al, because me and Al, we're more than teammates. Al is my brother. I call him after every game, and he calls me after every game. And it's just frustrating to see what he's going through because I would so much rather have him here with me every day.

"But at the same time, I'm at the point where he has to do what's best for him. If him and coach are not going to get along, I'm not going to be in the middle of it. I love coach. Coach has helped me bring my career back. And I love Al as a brother.

"Me and coach, and me and Al are going to be friends after basketball. So it's a tough situation, but you just have to wish the best for both parties."

Q: You got a glimpse of the Andris Biedrins, Brandan Wright, Anthony Randolph frontline the other day. How was it?

A: "That looks good, man. We have great shot-blockers. All those guys can score, and we know we're going to rebound the ball well. Like I said, the upside, the future for this team is definitely bright. We're just trying to see how long it takes to get there."

S-Jax wrote:Q: You're essentially committing yourself to the Warriors - and vice versa - once you sign that three-year contract extension. Why is this the right move for both sides?

A: "I'm finally at the point where I'm wanted. I can be the player I've always wanted to be. I can be a leader. And I'm tired of bouncing around. I'm tired of going from team to team. And this is somewhere where I feel comfortable, my family is comfortable. And I love the coach I'm playing for.

"So for me, it's a great situation."

I mean, of course it would be hard for him to answer the part of the question about whether his deal is good for the franchise...........but man, when I think about it, I really cant stand that he is being re-signed for 3 more years.

We are rebuilding, and the two most important things in rebuilding are young guys that can play and CAP FREEDOM!!!

We are tied into Monta, Beans and Mags long term...........thats 35 mil a year between those two, add S-Jax's probably 8+ plus mil to that and we really dont have much room for big free agents in the next 3-4 years, and of course, in that time we are going to have to re-sign Brandan and Randolph.

Also...........Im sure he loves Nellie!!! a coach that lets him get away with all the horrible mistakes he makes on the floor, with no consequences or accountability.

Jackson has above average skills in many areas, nothing extraordinary, though he can be an amazing streak shooter. He is kind of a poor man's Scottie Pippen, except he occasionally labors under the illusion that he is Michael Jordan. However, someone who brings above average skills to D, passing, ballhandling, posting up and esp. leadership is a good rudder for the team. Watching the game today, I was glad he was on our side as opposed to BD, who reminded me of all the maddening selfishness he is capable of. A LOT of young talent on the Ws, and if they get some kind of value for Harrington, once Monta returns, they could be a highly entertaining team

To Live is A Value Judgment - Albert Camus
3 reasons for living: Jazz, Hoops and women